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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC
Faculty of Social Science of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
e-mail: CAROLINA@cuni.cz
tel: (+42 2) 24810804, ext. 252, fax: (+42 2) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 208, Friday, June 21, 1996.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (June 12-19)
Coalition Talks to Close
During meetings June 14 and 17, the current coalition of the Civic
Democratic Party (ODA), the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak
People's Party (KDU-CSL) and the Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) decided
to separate retirement insurance from the state budget ("...the
separation of pension funds is the subject of our agreement," said
KDU-CSL Chiarman to Czech daily Pravo), and compromised on the issue of
decentralization, allowing larger territorial administrative regions to
be created. Czech daily MF DNES quoted Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus on
the second issue as saying, "we will try to establish the institution of
regional self-administration in this term. However, we are subordinating
this to the effort to decrease the areas in which public organs of all
types will affect citizens or municipalities."
Agreements were also reached at earlier negotiations allowing Klaus
to stay on as chairman of the government, and Minister of Finance Ivan
Kocarnik, Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec, Health Minister Jan Strasky,
Interior Minister Jan Ruml and Education Minister Ivan Pilip, all ODS
members, to keep their positions. Another topic agreed upon during the
talks is the reduction of governmental functionaries from 19 to anywhere
from 17 to 14 (see Carolina 207).
Decisions have not yet been made, though, on how to deal with
individual client accounts in the healthcare system, which is supported
only by ODS. Other unsolved issues include taxes, which ODA is fighting
to decrease, and restitution (KDU-CSL's chief issue). Off-the-record
comments of government officials indicate the resolution of these issues
will determine ODS' governmental majority.
After deadline: The parties' sixth meeting, held June 20, brought
no final agreement. The coalition could decide on the representation of
ODS in the government, with the smaller parties demanding parity.
Zbynek Vicar/Andrea Snyder
New Parliament Deputies to Meet June 25
Former Parliament Chairman Milan Uhde (Civic Democratic Party)
called the first meeting of the post-election Parliament for June 25.
Leaders of the three coalition parties (Vaclav Klaus, Civic Democratic
Party; Jan Kalvoda, Civic Democratic Alliance; Josef Lux, Christian
Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party) agreed on the date at
their June 14 meeting. Rules of order say that at the first meeting,
parliamentary deputies must take their oath, to be followed by election
of the chairman and either four or five vice-chairmen. According to
information made public after parliamentary club meetings, two of the
vice-chairmen should be from the Civic Democratic Party (68 seats), and
one each from the Social Democrats (61), Christian Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (18) and the Civic Democratic Alliance
(13). According to rights granted under the system of proportional
representation, the Communists, with 22 seats, also wish to run for one
leadership post (Parliament also hosts the neo-Fascist Republicans, who
have 18 seats).
Other positions, such as committee chairmanships, will be divied up
next week. The Social Democrats will demand one from their ranks head
the control organ for the Secret Service. The party would also like to
see a Social Democrat heading the delegation representing Czech
Parliament in the European Council. For now, it seems to be clear that
Social Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman will occupy the same position in
Parliament for the next term.
Jakub Konecny/Andrea Snyder
Republican Files Allegations against Party Leader
Alena Muckova, head of the Ceske Budejovice organization of the
neo-fascist Association for the Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party,
filed allegations against party Chairman Miroslav Sladek in Ceske
Budejovice last week. Muckova charges Sladek forced her to sign
a million-crown promissory note in February, threatening to take her off
the ballot if she refused to sign. Sladek wanted to use this as
insurance that 1996's crop of parliamentary deputies would not resemble
that of 1992, when most deputies defected because of conflicts with
Sladek (nine of 14 deputies fled to other parties).
Only when Sladek canceled her candidacy without explanation one day
before elections did Muckova go public. Now she estimates at least 40
other Republican candidates signed such notes. "Some of them promised to
join my protest," Muckova said. Republican leaders have not commented on
the matter.
Jakub Konecny/Andrea Snyder
Janyr, Horak and Paroubek Harm Party Interests
The Executive Central Committee of the Czech Social Democratic
Party (CSSD) met at Prague's Belmondo club the weekend of June 15-16,
where they discussed whether Jiri Horak, Jiri Paroubek and Premysl Janyr
would remain party members. The committee decided all three had harmed
CSSD party interests prior to elections in the press, and asked Janyr to
leave the party. None of the accused admit feeling guilty, nor are
planning on leaving the party.
Horak, former party chairman, published a story in Czech daily
Pravo before the elections criticizing CSSD's policies, strategies and
tactics. Paroubek, former Prague CSSD representative, had been placed
seventh on CSSD's 1996 ballot. He dropped out of the race and accused
colleagues (placed before him on the ballot) Frantisek Ringo Cech, Petr
Hulinsky and Jaroslav Basta of being incapable of competing with
candidates from other parties. He then resigned in protest from the
Executive Central Committee and, just before elections, resigned from
CSSD's club at Prague City Hall. Janyr, former editor-in-chief of Pravo
lidu (The Right of the People, ceased to exist in 1992), appealed to
readers in daily Pravo to vote for the Left Bloc.
The committee did not accept Milos Zeman's resignation from the
position of CSSD chairman. In a pre-election speech, Zeman had offered
to "put his head on the block" if his party did not win. Although the
Social Democrats did not win the elections, 26.4 per cent of the voting
population voted for CSSD, a record success for the century-old party.
The result exceeded 1992's turnout by more than 1 million votes. The
committee confirmed the nominations of Zeman and Petra Buzkova for the
positions of chairman and vice-chairwoman of Parliament.
After critically evaluating election results, CSSD wants to focus
more on women and retirees in the next elections.
Zbynek Vicar/Andrea Snyder
Meciar Invites Klaus to CEFTA Summit
An invitation to the September summit for prime ministers of
countries belonging to the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)
was presented to Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus by Slovak Ambassador
to the Czech Republic Ivan Mjartan June 13, said Vadim Petrov from the
Office of the Prime Minister's Press Department.
Slovakia, as the current chair of the organization, is preparing
the early stages of the summit. The last official negotiations between
Meciar and Klaus took place at last September's CEFTA summit in Brno.
Although a further meeting at year's end in Bratislava was unofficially
discussed, the encounter never took place.
Arsen Kocarjan/Alice Ticha
Hillary Clinton to Visit Prague
The First Lady of the USA is coming to Prague on July 3-5.
According to Czech daily Pravo, a highlight of her stay will be an
appearance at the headquarters of Radio Free Europe. Clinton will there
present a message from her husband to the countries of central Europe.
Her stay in Prague is part of her 10-day journey to seven central
European countries, where she will emphasize US support for the newly
democratic nations.
Karel Bartek/Alice Ticha
Czech IFOR Soldier Wounded in Bosnia
First Lieutenant of the Czech IFOR mission Jaromir Dupal, 28, was
severely wounded while manipulating an explosive on the evening of June
16. He lost an eye and the tips of his right index finger and thumb had
to be amputated.
"He was given first aid immediately; an army helicopter
transported him in half an hour to a British hospital in Sipov," as
press officer of the Czech battalion in Zagreb Oldrich Holecek told
Czech daily Lidove noviny June 18.
The Czech Ministry of Defense announced the accident occured in an
area of a contact center of the 6th mechanized battalion of the Czech
Army, where the lieutenant was setting security systems designed for
protection of the camp. Army police, which serves within the IFOR
forces, is investigating the case.
The Czech IFOR battalion, which is to watch over enforcement the
peace agreements, has 834 soldiers. The mandate of these forces should
expire December 20, according to the Dayton pact.
Arsen Kocarjan/Klara Schirova
Fred and Ginger Open
The often discussed building on Prague's Rasin Embankment is the
collective work of architects Vlado Milunic and world-famous Frank O.
Gehry. The house was built in two years at a cost of 300 million crowns,
put up by an international consortium of banks headed by Nationale
Nederlanden. Rent for an office in the building, nicknamed Fred and
Ginger for its twisting, asymmetrical design, is going to be 58
deutchmarks per square meter, according to Czech daily Lidove noviny.
Rent contracts have been signed for four of the six floors designated
for offices. Negotiations for the remainder are being held primarily
with foreign entities. A bar on the ground floor and a restaurant on the
top floor were obtained by a French company, while an American company
plans to sell cars in the lower part of the building.
The inauguration set for June 20 took place, though some finishing
work continues. The bar and restaurant should be open to the public in
July.
Zbynek Vicar/Klara Schirova
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from June 20)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 21.895
Belgium 100 BEF 88.623
Great Britain 1 GBP 42.814
Denmark 1 DKK 4.736
Finland 1 FIM 5.983
France 1 FRF 5.376
Ireland 1 IEP 44.054
Italy 1000 ITL 18.115
Japan 100 JPY 25.728
Canada 1 CAD 20.299
Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.623
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.271
Norway 1 NOK 4.263
New Zealand 1 NZD 18.846
Portugal 100 PTE 17.732
Austria 1 ATS 2.592
Greece 100 GRD 11.531
Slovakia 100 SKK 89.925
Germany 1 DEM 18.238
Spain 100 ESP 21.631
Sweden 1 SEK 4.188
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.142
USA 1 USD 27.770
ECU 1 XEU 34.500
SDR 1 XDR 40.213
CULTURE
Variety Show Comic Jiri Sasek Exits
Jiri Sasek, the actor who engraved himself into public memory
thanks mainly to participating in the comic duo of Sasek - Vostrel, died
June 15 at the age of 66. Sasek was a member of Prague's Rokoko Theater
during the 60's, when Darek Vostrel was theater director. Together Sasek
and Vostrel established a kind of satire loosely following the humor of
Jiri Voskovec and Jan Werich. They became stars of broadcast and
television shows, but both had to leave performance during the
normalization period of the 70's. Vostrel died November 4, 1992.
Jakub Konecny/Katerina Zachovalova
Feast of Modern Dance in Prague
The eighth annual international contemporary dance and movement
festival Tanec Praha (Prague Dance) was inaugurated on Old Town Square
June 15. Festival performances are also scheduled for the Archa Theater,
the National Theater and Palace Akropolis. The most audience-attractive
names appearing during the festival are Joseph Nadje, Ohad Naharin, Mats
Ek, Christopher Bruce and Herve Diasnas. Festival director Yvona
Kreuzmanova comments on the festival this way: "For me it is not just
important to rely on approved values, but also to give the festival the
punch of discovery."
Jakub Konecny/Katerina Zachovalova
SPORT
3-3 Draw with Russia Brought Czechs into EURO 96 Quarterfinal
After the Czech Republic's stunning victory over Italy (see
separate report), it was clear the Czech soccer team has a chance to
advance to quarterfinal only on two conditions: the Czechs must not lose
to Russia and Italy must not defeat Germany. Both conditions were met
June 19, when the results in Group C came up: Czech Republic - Russia
3-3, Italy - Germany 1-1.
For the Czech fans at Liverpool's Anfield Road Stadium, the match
was a nightmare. In the first 10 minutes of the second half the Czech
team lost its first-half 2-0 lead (6th minute Suchoparek, 19th Kuka)
when the Russian forwards Mostovoj (48th) and defender Tetradze (53th)
leveled the score 2-2. The draw was still sufficient to advance.
However, when the Russian Bezshcastnych scored a goal in the 86th
minute, all hopes seemed to be lost. The salvage for Czechs came in the
89th minute, when Kubik passed a long ball to Smicer, whose goal decided
the outcome of match.
The Czechs, as the second best team in Group C, will meet Group
D winner Portugal June 23.
Jiri Trunecka/Milan Smid
World Championship Finalist Italy Defeated by Most Underrated Team
The Fall of the Roman Empire, Three-Time World Champs on their
Knees, Fantastic Victory of the Czech Republic - those were the
headlines in Czech dailies June 15, one day after the Czech national
soccer team shockingly defeated Italy in the EURO 96 Group
C qualification.
The first goal was scored by Nedved in the 5th minute. Ciesa
changed the score to 1-1 in the 19th minute. In the 29th minute the
Italian defender Apolloni was ejected thanks to his second harsh foul of
the match. After Bejbl scored the second Czech goal in the 35th minute,
the Czech team was able to maintain its lead till the end of the match.
Karel Bartek/Milan Smid
WEATHER
The weather is nearly ideal now. The tropical spells are over, some
clouds have appeared in the sky. From time to time showers clean the
air, but it does not become cold, temperatures stay in the range of 20
degrees to 25 degrees Celsius /68 degrees to 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prague's youth are wearing their most seductive summer outfits, so there
is always something to look at.
Karel Bartek
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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